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The economics of human trafficking and labour migration: Micro-evidence from Eastern Europe

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  • Omar Mahmoud, Toman
  • Trebesch, Christoph

Abstract

Human trafficking is a humanitarian problem of global scale, but quantitative research on the issue barely exists. This paper is the first attempt to analyze the economics of human trafficking and labour migration based on micro data, using unique household surveys from Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. We find that individual trafficking risks are much higher in regions with large emigration flows. The reasons are lower recruitment costs for traffickers in emigration areas and, to a less extent, more negative self-selection into migration. Our results also indicate that illegal migration increases trafficking risks and that better information, e.g. through awareness campaigns, might be an effective strategy to reduce the crime. These findings may help policymakers to better target anti-trafficking efforts.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Comparative Economics.

Volume (Year): 38 (2010)
Issue (Month): 2 (June)
Pages: 173-188

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Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:38:y:2010:i:2:p:173-188

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Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622864

Related research

Keywords: Human trafficking Migrant exploitation Illegal migration Migration networks Eastern Europe;

References

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  1. Moisés Naím, 2005. "Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy," IDB Publications 8096, Inter-American Development Bank.
  2. Daniel Chiquiar & Gordon H. Hanson, 2005. "International Migration, Self-Selection, and the Distribution of Wages: Evidence from Mexico and the United States," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(2), pages 239-281, April.
  3. Yves Zenou, 2003. "The Spatial Aspects of Crime," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 1(2-3), pages 459-467, 04/05.
  4. Domar, Evsey D., 1970. "The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(01), pages 18-32, March.
  5. Moisés Naím, 2005. "Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy," IDB Publications 8097, Inter-American Development Bank.
  6. Ai, Chunrong & Norton, Edward C., 2003. "Interaction terms in logit and probit models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 123-129, July.
  7. Orrenius, Pia M. & Zavodny, Madeline, 2005. "Self-selection among undocumented immigrants from Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 215-240, October.
  8. Guido Friebel & Sergei Guriev, 2006. "Smuggling Humans: A Theory of Debt-financed Migration," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(6), pages 1085-1111, December.
  9. Görlich, Dennis & Trebesch, Christoph, 2008. "Seasonal migration and networks : evidence on Moldova's labour exodus," Open Access publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy info:hdl:10419/4282, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
  10. Leblang, David & Satyanath, Shanker, 2008. "Politically generated uncertainty and currency crises: Theory, tests, and forecasts," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 480-497, April.
  11. Carrington, William J & Detragiache, Enrica & Vishwanath, Tara, 1996. "Migration with Endogenous Moving Costs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(4), pages 909-30, September.
  12. Edward L. Glaeser & Bruce Sacerdote, 1996. "Why is There More Crime in Cities?," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1746, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
  13. Tamura, Yuji, 2007. "Migrant Smuggling," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 791, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
  14. Arnab K. Basu & Nancy H. Chau, 2003. "Targeting Child Labor in Debt Bondage: Evidence, Theory, and Policy Implications," World Bank Economic Review, World Bank Group, vol. 17(2), pages 255-281, December.
  15. Bauer, Thomas K. & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 1999. "Report No. 3: Assessment of Possible Migration Pressure and its Labour Market Impact Following EU Enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe," IZA Research Reports 3, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  16. Pia M. Orrenius, 1999. "The role of family networks, coyote prices and the rural economy in migration from Western Mexico: 1965-1994," Working Papers 99-10, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Emmanuelle Auriol & Alice Mesnard, 2012. "Sale Of Visas: A Smuggler's Final Song?," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1217, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
  2. Mo, Pak Hung, 2011. "International Human Trafficking: Theory and Solution," MPRA Paper 35104, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Nov 2011.
  3. Cho, Seo-Young & Dreher, Axel & Neumayer, Eric, 2010. "The spread of anti-trafficking policies: Evidence from a new index," Center for European, Governance and Economic Development Research Discussion Papers 119, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
  4. Cho, Seo-Young & Dreher, Axel & Neumayer, Eric, 2011. "The Spread of Anti-Trafficking Policies - Evidence from a New Index," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 20, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
  5. Seo-Young Cho & Axel Dreher & Eric Neumayer, 2012. "The Determinants of Anti-trafficking Policies: Evidence from a New Index," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 72, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

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